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Synonym Chooser

How is the word carnal different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of carnal are animal, fleshly, and sensual. While all these words mean "having a relation to the body," carnal may mean only this but more often connotes derogatorily an action or manifestation of a person's lower nature.

a slave to carnal desires

When can animal be used instead of carnal?

While the synonyms animal and carnal are close in meaning, animal stresses the physical as distinguished from the rational nature of a person.

led a mindless animal existence

How do fleshly and carnal relate to one another?

Fleshly is less derogatory than carnal.

a saint who had experienced fleshly temptations

When is it sensible to use sensual instead of carnal?

While in some cases nearly identical to carnal, sensual may apply to any gratification of a bodily desire or pleasure but commonly implies sexual appetite with absence of the spiritual or intellectual.

fleshpots providing sensual delights

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of carnal This opulent unisex scent made for both men and women marries lush oud with velvety rose—along with equally sumptuous honey and saffron—for a carnal love potion designed for those who aren’t afraid to stand out. Mary Honkus, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2025 As a chronicle of carnal awakening, Dying for Sex, created by Kim Rosenstock and Elizabeth Meriwether based on true events detailed in the Wondery podcast of the same title, is unapologetically horny and refreshingly open-minded. Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2025 Mister Romantic may be an equal-opportunity flirt, but there’s no carnal undercurrent to his desires. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2025 With Sexy Drill, the artist and their carnal musings take centerstage. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for carnal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for carnal
Adjective
  • There is also the cumulative stress of police work: the daily drips of violence, misery and death; the relentless staccato of calls that can spiral from mundane to dramatic in a split second.
    Katja Ridderbusch, NPR, 26 May 2025
  • Some of the lines capture hilariously mundane moments of humanity.
    Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 26 May 2025
Adjective
  • There isn’t any physical, material world in crypto.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
  • However, while the arrival of a new baby is often celebrated, the physical, emotional and psychological transitions that accompany this time are frequently overlooked.
    Darlin Tillery, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • The skirt flared softly at the hem, offering movement and bit of drama, a silhouette that felt sensual without trying too hard.
    Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 30 May 2025
  • As a reminder, here's how Scorsese and the three-time Oscar winner worked together to make romantic sublimation and repressed emotions weirdly sensual.
    Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 21 May 2025
Adjective
  • Though the papal tiara, symbolizing spiritual, temporal and supreme power, is still revered, no pope has worn it since Paul VI (1963-1978), who sold his for charity.
    NBC News, NBC news, 18 May 2025
  • Those questions are, so often, temporal and corporeal.
    Editorial, Boston Herald, 10 May 2025
Adjective
  • The 36-year-old faces a charge of collision involving serious bodily injury, according to police records.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 May 2025
  • The 1862 pension law allocated payouts in proportion to a soldier’s permanent bodily injury or disability caused by their service.
    Jamie Rowen, The Conversation, 30 May 2025
Adjective
  • Related Stories The Mogami Terra Tech’s biological and engineered materials combine in natural shades like camouflage fatigues, extracted from terrestrial environments saturated with brush, soil and clay.
    Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 26 May 2025
  • That would mean another UK asset for RedBird, the terrestrial network Channel 5.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • In 2022, the FDA Modernization Act 2.0 paved the way for alternatives to animal testing, and in December 2023, an NIH advisory committee made similar recommendations to develop non-animal methods.
    Rachel Fobar, Vox, 14 May 2025
  • Rendering is a process that transforms animal by-products, like leftover meat and fats...and yes, chicken feet, into usable materials, such as animal feed, fuel, and other industrial products.
    Phil Kafarakis, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • They are lined with stainless steel and their flip-up tops reveal beetles swarming the earthly remains of various small animals, mostly birds.
    Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 13 May 2025
  • From the time of its populist founding, the Christian Church professed profound optimism about life, both earthly and eternal.
    Richard D. Mahoney, JSTOR Daily, 30 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Carnal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/carnal. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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